


Morning rituals

by ambreuk



Category: British Royalty RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-22 07:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2499596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambreuk/pseuds/ambreuk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter isn't a sequel, but stands for itself.</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Morning rituals

Kate woke at 6 am on a Thursday morning. For a moment, she didn’t know what had woken her, but then she heard a soft scratching noise. Looking at the person next to her in bed, she smiled. William never woke from the sound of Lupo scratching at their bedroom door. Instead, he grumbled, turned around and slept on. Kate then glanced at the baby monitor on her night stand. When she heard the soft breathing of her little boy, she decided that she should indeed turn her attention to Lupo.

‘’Hey boy, you’re lucky to have woken me. Otherwise you and I couldn’t go for a run this morning eh?’’ Lupo wagged his tail vigorously and jumped against the counter where Kate was making breakfast. Never a person to sleep late into the day, she didn’t even mind to be up so early. It was already light out, so she did not have to run in complete darkness. She ruffled trough Lupo’s hair and he followed her dutifully to the kitchen table. ‘’You certainly aren’t suited to be on yourself, boy.’’ Kate grinned. Lupo wasn’t allowed in any of the bedrooms, so he started scratching at the door on more than one occasion if he woke up before the rest of the house. Well, it was not like she minded. She loved Lupo as her child and he was a good competitor when they went running together. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour later William woke, being just as confused as his wife was earlier. Turning around in his bed, he noticed she was gone. On hearing George crying on the baby monitor, he assumed she was on her way to his bedroom to comfort their baby boy. She would bring him back to their room and they would snuggle together before the day started properly. This was business as usual. Smiling to himself at this thought, William lied back into the cushions and closed his eyes again. He opened them ten seconds later. George was still screaming his head off. Apparently Kate wasn’t with him. Where was she? Glancing at the radio clock William grumbled. 7 am: George was early today. Well, that was probably his fault. He was the one insisting yesterday his little son needed an extra nap, apart from the usual one. Kate had protested, saying that he should get used to one nap a day. William had insisted and now he had to pay the price. Was Kate hiding on purpose, just to punish him? 

William got out of his bed and made his way towards George. ‘’Shhh, boy, it’s all right now, Daddy’s here with you.’’ George was standing upright in his crib, holding on to the bars. On the sight of his father he stopped crying, but started shaking the bars of his bed instead, wanting to get out. William lifted him high in the air and took George on his arm. ‘’Do you know where I can find your gorgeous Mummy, Georgie? She wasn’t lying next the me.’’ George babbled back ‘’Mummy, Mummy.’’ ‘’Yeah, she’s the one I’m looking for. Shall we search together then?’’ Putting George on his shoulders, they started a tour in the house together. Making funny dance moves and swinging from room to room, William made his son laugh uncontrollably. At their arrival in the kitchen, William put George down. ‘’Wupo, Wupo’’, his son cried out. He started toddling towards the hall, where Lupo’s basket was standing. Reaching the door and realizing he couldn’t reach the door knob, George let himself fall on his butt and looked expectantly at his Dad. 

‘’Well noticed, Georgie boy, Lupo isn’t home as well. Then I know where to find your Mummy: she is trying to beat your dog in a running contest. It can take a while before she gets here. What about breakfast, hmm?’’ William put George in his high chair and started to make a bottle of milk for him. With George happily drinking his milk, William then turned his attention to his own food and baked a couple of eggs. Sitting at the kitchen table and feeding George every third bite of his eggs, he said ‘’What about a little playing in the garden, Georgie? The weather is beautiful. We can throw your ball and I can push you on the swing. What do you say?’’ George babbled something unintelligible but beamed none the less cheerfully at his Dad. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Kate got home from her run, she found the house completely empty. For a second she was worried – William never got up early if he didn’t have to – but soon she heard cries of laughter coming from the garden. Grabbing her phone, she quietly made her way outside. She smiled at her view. Her husband was pushing George on his toddler swing, and it looked like they were both having the time of their lives. Kate stepped out and made a picture of her happy family. ‘’Georgie, I found Mummy! Let’s give her a kiss, shall we?’’ William looked happily at his wife. Kate beamed as her two boys walked towards her. Getting little wet kisses from her baby boy, she looked up to William. ‘’Will you give me a proper kiss, then?’’ William obeyed immediately.

‘’It’s unbelievable how the weather turned out today’’, Kate said between spoonfuls of muesli. ‘’We have to take advantage of this fact, it’s already October. Probably the last beautiful day before autumn really kicks in.’’ They were lying on the grass, with George running after his ball together with Lupo. Every time George fell over because of Lupo’s blunt behaviour, Lupo catched the ball and dropped it before the little toddler’s feet, as if he was trying to make it up to him. ‘’They are adorable’’, grinned William, ‘’do you want another one?’’ ‘’Sure,’’ answered Kate, ‘’my Mum sent me a picture yesterday from a new litter that was born at their neighbour’s house, so we can go and choose one.’’ William stared at her incredulously. ‘’Oh hang on, you meant another baby?’’ Kate grinned and said winking at her husband ‘’I think it is a sure thing Georgie needs his extra nap time definitely today.’’


	2. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't a sequel, but stands for itself.

It was a bright, crisp day when the sun rose on June 21st. Kensington Gardens was completely deserted, not even a single man walking his dog or the early jogger were present. One person, however, was already awake and had started with the preparations for this important day. Unfortunately for her, this didn’t go without any struggle. Stress took over. Needing to check on the cake and trying to keep her toddler away from the hot oven at the same time, Kate was fighting the urge to scream ou tin frustration. Except she couldn’t, for it would wake William. Then her whole plan failed. 

‘’George, for the last time, if you don’t stay away from that oven, I will put you in your play box.’’

George whined when his mother pulled him away – again. 

‘’Look, sweetie, here’s your stuffed rhino, go and play with that one instead.’’

But George found his mother’s activities a lot more interesting than his toys. And his mother couldn’t blackmail him anyway. Kate had tried the trick before, but every time George started crying immediately. She only needed to add the frosting anyway. She was making a birthday cake for William, who was – hopefully- still asleep. After giving birth to George, Kate was used to getting up early and today she used the fact as an advantage. Having George dressed and fed earlier this morning, she then had started to work on the cake, which one nearing completion right now. Kate was really proud of her hard work. The cake was his favorite, strawberry and chocolate. Right now, she only had to make pancakes for breakfast. Easy. Kate always thought birthdays an important event, something she had learned and copied from her parents, who never let a birthday go by unnoticed. Her mother always baked a cake – later, she and Pippa would help – and the birthday boy or girl was served breakfast in bed. Kate knew from her friends in high school they were feeling too old for something like that, but the Middleton family had always cherished those mornings, especially when the kids grew older. At mornings like that they always felt incredibly close to each other, even though everyone was busy doing his own things during the week. It was Kate’s wish to have the same moments for her own little family, now she had one. Today was the first time George could celebrate his Dad’s birthday. He even had his own present. Kate turned away from the stove to look at her little boy. He was finally playing peacefully on the floor, right beside her. Lupo was lying contently in a corner, keeping a close eye on George’s toys. Kate smiled at the thought of the day lying ahead of them. She was certain William didn’t know a thing, being far too busy with his job. 

The pancakes were ready, but Kate wasn’t able to carry both the tray and George simultaneously upstairs to their bedroom. She decided to bring George up first. 

‘’Come on, kiddo, we’re going to wake up your Daddy. He’s got a busy day today, so he needs to get ready. What do you think?’’ She tickled her little boy’s tummy, which made him cry with laughter.

‘’Shh, we don’t want to wake him up just yet.’’ Tiptoeing on the stairs and the landing, Kate then opened the bedroom door quietly. Luckily, William was still sleeping. She put George down next to him. ‘’Go and wake you Daddy, honey. Mummy will come right back with the food.’’ Kate turned around and quickly made her way downstairs. 

Not liking at all that his Dad was still asleep, George decided to climb on top of him. Sitting on William’s stomach, he touched his face with his chubby little hands. ‘’Daddy! Daddy!’’ he cried out, all the while bouncing up and down. 

William woke with a start. ‘’What the ---! Georgie! What do you think you’re doing, little boy?’’ Will held his son high in the air. ‘’Look at that, you can fly!’’ 

George squealed cheerfully. William placed him on what was usually Kate’s part of the bed. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked at his son. ‘’Where’s your Mummy, boy? Don’t tell me she went out for a run again. Doesn’t she know what day it is today?’’ William stroked George’s hair. 

‘’Of course she does, she is a good wife, you know.’’ Kate entered their bedroom for the second time. 

‘’Ooooh, she really is!’’ William said, on seeing the tray with pancakes she held in her hands. 

‘’Happy birthday, honey. I hope we will celebrate a lot more years together.’’ Kate kissed her husband. 

‘’Thank you, darling, me too.’’ William smiled lovingly at her. ‘’Come sit next to me.’’

Kate climbed in the bed an placed George on her lap. 

‘’Do you want a pancake, Georgie?’’ William already had a bite ready on his fork. George opened his mouth compliantly. ‘’Bet you like that,’’ William grinned. ‘’Nobody can make pancakes as good as your mother.’’He gave Kate a bite as well.

‘’Don’t think toot bad at all,’’ Kate winked. 

‘’Don’t think too high of yourself, babe.’’ William took his first bite. ‘’Hmmm, these are really good! Okay, maybe you can think high of yourself.’’ With the food still in his mouth, he bent over to gave Kate a kiss. ‘’Thank you, honey, I really love this.’’

Kate smiled. That was exactly what she wanted. ‘’We’ve got presents!’’ she said. 

‘’Nice!’’ 

Kate opened the draw of her nightstand and took out an envelope. ‘’Daddy,’’ it said. ‘’This one is from George. Here boy, give it to Daddy.’’ She gave George the envelope, but instead of passing it on to his Dad, he started chewing on the corners. 

‘’Maybe this is a sign I have to give my present first.’’ Kate gave a small package to William. ‘’I really hope you like it.’’

‘’Of course I do,’’ William answered, ‘’it’s from you.’’ He ripped the wrapping paper. ‘’Ah, I love it!’’

Inside was a picture collage with him and George. Every moment was represented, from the first time he’d held George after he was born to their walk about in Kensington Gardens last week, with George on his shoulders. ‘’This is really great, honey. You’ve must have put a lot of effort into it.’’ 

‘’Oh, it wasn’t a bad thing to do. I could look at you and George all the time.’’ Kate leaned against William’s chest. ‘’I’m glad you like it.’’

‘’I do, I love it!’’

George was done chewing. Kate took the envelope and handed it to William. ‘’This is from George and it contains our plans for the rest of the day. 

Looking curiously at Kate, William opened it. Inside were three tickets for the London Zoo. William smiled. ‘’That really is a great plan!’’ They had been talking about going to the zoo before, but George wasn’t old enough yet and wouldn’t understand a single thing from what he was seeing. Today, Kate thought he was able to enjoy it. 

She jumped from the bed. ‘’Well, what are you waiting for. Let’s have a shower and get out of here!’’ She looked expectantly at William.

He looked disappointed. ‘’What’s the matter?’’ Kate asked. 

‘’I want to finish my pancakes first,’’ was the reply she got. Throwing a pillow to his head, Kate walked towards the bathroom.

‘’Well, Georgie, today you can finally see all the stuffed animals you have in real life. How about that?’’ William fed George another bite of his pancake. ‘’And all because you have the best Mummy in the world.’’


End file.
